Acting Locally

originally published September 26, 2001

Five Athens-Clarke County Commissioners gave most of a beautiful Saturday taking a field trip over to Cobb County to see the Silver Comet Trail. That's a "rails to trails" conversion running along the old Silver Comet rail line for 12.8 miles through Cobb County and on toward the Alabama line for 57 miles in all. The trail will soon link up with Alabama's Chief Ladiga trail for a total of more than 100 miles of railroad converted for walking, running, cycling and skating.

Commissioner States McCarter is chairman of a Commission/citizen committee appointed by the Mayor to look into the possibility of converting the abandoned CSX roadway into a trail from Athens to Winterville. Yes, that's the same one with the "Murmur trestle" still half there and the trestle across the Oconee gone, and, yes, the task would have been a lot easier and less expensive if those trestles were still up. But McCarter's Committee is not wasting time bemoaning what was, and instead is looking at what might still be possible.

What they saw in Cobb County is a highly popular trail filled with people thrilled to be outdoors and away from their cars.

People of all sexes, ages, races and denominations were whizzing along on bicycles and in-line skates (one woman carrying her little Cocker Spaniel in a "snuggly") and were jogging and walking and pushing strollers.

In addition to Commissioner McCarter, Commissioners Tom Chasteen, Charles Carter, John Barrow and Carl Jordan made the trip over and walked a two-mile section of the trail, in addition to getting several briefings by Cobb County Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs staff. (Well, okay, Charles Carter didn't actually walk the trail, but he's a farmer and already has a lot of miles on him, and he looked at everything and heard all the briefings.) Other committee members along to check things out were Michael Hall, Dorothy O'Niell, John Ward, Chris Leisher (who biked it) and Corbett Chandler. While most people had on walking shoes of some kind, Corbett just hoofed those two miles in his Realtor® loafers with no sweat. Paul Dorsey, Jr. was also along as an interested citizen.

The thing about railroads is they build them with as flat a grade as possible, cutting through hills and filling in low places. What you get is a great path for non-motorized transportation. The one in Cobb County is paved with asphalt, and people were flying along.

What we've got over here could be a level walk from Winterville and beyond, straight into Athens, linking up with the multi-modal center and the Greenway and also with the rail line that runs through the UGA campus and on toward Madison, GA, which someday could make a prime rails-to-trails conversion, too.

But before the rubber hits the road, this thing will cost millions. CSX will have to sell or lease the right-of-way, and presently it's not clear what they want or even how much of the right-of-way they own. The trestle has to be rebuilt, the river re-bridged, the track paved or graveled. Are we looking at spending all this money so that college kids can rollerblade over the "Murmur trestle" on weekends? Well, that and we're looking at a way for college kids to get to school without using their cars, and for people to get to work or just get to town without using cars. When it comes down to a political question and the Commissioners get heat from those who want it and those who don't, they'll have to decide whether this rails-to-trails conversion is a luxury we can't afford or a necessity we can't do without.

Not to be like the Rev. Falwell and tie local agendas to national events, but isn't this a time when even locally we should be looking for ways to lessen our dependence on foreign oil? Couldn't we say "Up yours," to the oil sheiks every time we set out for work or school on the old rail line? Wouldn't that be money well spent that would pay off in less fuel use, better health, less land taken for parking? The Cobb County staff said the Silver Comet Trail is "the best money our Commission has ever spent, from the feedback we get."

Using Words

Speaking of Rev. Falwell, he said on Pat Robertson's "700 Club" on television last week that the attacks on the World Trade Center represented God giving the U.S. what we deserve.

With Robertson concurring, Falwell said the blame for the attacks would have to be shard by the American Civil Liberties Union, the federal courts, abortionists, pagans, feminists, gays, lesbians and People for the American Way who have all been trying to secularize America.

That was too much for Rev. Michael Marsingill Sunday morning at Young Harris Methodist Church on Prince Avenue. He departed from his prepared sermon to quote Rev. Falwell and then to say that anyone with that much hate in his heart is no different from Osama bin Laden. Rev. Marsingill went on to preach an eloquent sermon on the true meaning of Christian love and the necessity and difficulty of loving all people. For those who feel that Falwell and Robertson have poisoned Christianity, Rev. Marsingill's message was a powerful antidote.

Pete McCommons, Editor & Publisher editor@flagpole.com

Pete McCommons, Editor & Publisher

editor@flagpole.com